Protesters, led by community activist Quanell X, sought an audience with the police chief, but were told he was out of the office.

"We're asking the police chief to invite the FBI in to investigate this case," said Quanell X.

Local 2 Investigates reported De La Cruz was convicted and sent to prison for the 1998 murder of Jorge Pena.

Court records read an eyewitness to the crime, Marcos Torres, told a jury he saw De La Cruz shoot the victim in front of a bakery and then helped drive the body to a near-by park where it was dumped.

During the trial, Baytown police officers testified no evidence of a shooting was found in front of the bakery and the murder weapon was not found.

Court documents read Baytown police officers did testify that forensic evidence in the case supported Torres' version of events that Pena was shot at one location and then taken to the park where his body was found.

"It's a lie, it's a lie, it's lie," De La Cruz said during an interview with Local 2 at the Beto prison unit.

After his conviction in 2000, De La Cruz's family hired attorney Stanley Schneider.

Schneider had the evidence in the case reviewed by forensic crime scene experts.

Documents filed with the court read those experts determined Pena was shot where his body was found in the park and not at another location.

These expert opinions directly conflicted with Torres' testimony.

During a 2011 hearing a judge ruled "credible forensic evidence proves that the testimony of Marcos Torres is false."

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